Speaker Bios
Barnard College Center for Toddler Development Director
Author, Raising Resilience: How to Help Our Children Thrive in Times of Uncertainty (HarperCollins, 2024)
Tovah P. Klein, Ph.D. is Director of the Barnard College Center for Toddler Development, Psychology Professor at Barnard College and author of How Toddlers Thrive, available in 7 languages. Her newest book Raising Resilience: How to Help Our Children Thrive in Times of Uncertainty (HarperCollins, 2024) focuses on helping children of all ages thrive in a changing world and for parents to understand who they are and what they bring to their relationship with each child.
She is a graduate of the University of Michigan, holds a doctorate in clinical and developmental psychology from Duke University.
Tovah has worked with families and young children for over three decades. Her love of children stems from her interest in the influences parents have on their well-being as well as the joy, nuances and curiosity of children. Her research explores parenting influences and challenges, including work and family; children’s play and emotional development; parental emotional influences on early learning; and child trauma, including the impact of 9/11 as well as a study of being a parent during covid.
Klein writes for and is quoted widely in media including print, TV, radio and digital. She has been called the ‘toddler whisperer’ by Good Morning America. She consults worldwide to programs for children, was a developmental advisor to Sesame Street, and is an advisor to Children’s Museum of Manhattan, Hunts Point Alliance for Children, Room to Grow, and S. Africa’s Ubuntu Pathways. She is a ‘changemaker’ for a new Apple TV+ children’s show and a developmental consultant for National Geographic Kids books. She lives in New York City and is the mother of three young adult children.
Parents A.C.T. Program Director, NY Center for Interpersonal Development
& Parent Educator, FamilyKind
Nancy Nybergh is a Licensed Psychoanalyst, educator, trainer, and mediator with over two decades of experience supporting families, educators, and professionals who work with children. She designs and delivers training on parent education, conflict resolution, mindfulness, and mental health.
As Program Director of Parents Assisting Children Through Transition at the New York Center for Interpersonal Development and a parent educator with FamilyKind, she helps parents navigate divorce/separation and co-parenting through experiential learning. She has also trained NYC educators, parent coordinators, and human service professionals in effective communication, trauma-informed care, and mindfulness-based stress reduction.
Nancy has worked extensively in family engagement, mentoring school-based staff and strengthening connections between parents and schools. She has developed professional training, led parent workshops, and collaborated with administrators to foster student success. She also teaches courses for New York State educators on mindfulness, anxiety, and classroom challenges.
With a Master’s in Organizational Psychology and postgraduate certification in Gestalt Psychotherapy, she blends academic insight with hands-on expertise to foster understanding, resilience, and meaningful connection.
National Parenting Education Network Board Chair
Family Life Coaching Association, Co-Founder
Author, E.N.R.I.C.H. Your Relationship with Your Child (Independent, 2021)
Dr. Debbie Farr is the current Board Chair of the National Parenting Education Network (NPEN) and co-founder of the Family Life Coaching Association (FLCA). She is a parenting educator and coach through her Flourishing Families business (https://familynh.com), offering both online and face-to-face services. She is the author of E.N.R.I.C.H. Your Relationship With Your Child and co-author of the Family Life Coaching Handbook. Dr. Farr received her Ph.D. in Educational Research with an emphasis in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of North Texas (UNT). She also has a graduate academic certificate in Parent Education from UNT and a master’s degree in Post-Secondary and Agency Guidance Counseling (marriage & family focus) from the University of Kansas. Debbie recently retired from teaching Positive Psychology and Lifespan Development at New England College in Henniker, New Hampshire. Debbie has taught at all levels of education, worked as a Family Resource Center Director and substance abuse prevention educator, and presented numerous keynotes, parenting workshops, and trainings across the country.
Guest Speaker:
Associate Director, Cornell Cooperative Extension
Director, The Parenting Project: Healthy Children, Families & Communities
Kimberly Kopko received her Ph.D. in Child Development from the Department of Human Development at Cornell University and joined the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research (BCTR) in the College of Human Ecology. Her research and Extension work examines child development and parenting and family processes. Current research and outreach projects include: parenting and youth development, parenting and child learning, and the use of research and evidence-based parent education programs to promote positive parenting and strengthen families. Ongoing academic and research interests include the development of portable parenting models and global early childhood education and care.